Floor treating mechanism



May 1-9, 1936. A; E. MOORHEAD FLOOR TREATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1e, 1952 4 Sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR' ATTORNEY May 19, 1936. A. E. MOORHEAD FLO OR TREATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1932 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A. E. MOORHEAD FLOOR TREATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1932 May 19, 1936.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY 0 A ll y 1936. A. E. MOORHEAD 2,041,140

FLOOR TREATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1932 4 Shegts-Sheet 4 \N VE-NTOR I 14/ r/ ATTORNEY Patented May. 19, 1936 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE Moorhead Development Co., Inc.,

Oakland,

Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application August 16,1932, Serial No. 629,039

15 Claims. (Cl. 9148) This invention relates to a mechanism for treating floors; such for example, as finishing and polishing floors, whether wood or linoleum, or the like For'finishing floors, it is customary to utilize an appliance that incorporates an abrasive material, such as sand paper. This appliance is operated by hand power, or it can be driven as by an electric motor. In the latter case, the sand paper is usually wound around a roll which is rapidly rotated by the motor and is pressed against the surface to be finished.

For polishing floors, a similar arrangement is used, except that a polishing medium, such as wax or oil, is'used in place of the abrasive; and often a bufling operation is added after the application of the polishing medium. In polishing and bufiing, soft rolls can be used,'overlaid with a layer of fabric or felt, which can be impregnated with wax or oil for the polishing operation,

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a floor polisher and finisher that can be conveniently manipulated to replace the treating rolls, or to introduce new material over the rolls.

It is another object of my invention to improve the construction and operation of such floor polishers or finishers. I

' Floors to be polished or buffed are apt to have slight irregularities, such as bumps and depres sions. 'If a polishing or buffing roll is merely urged against such a floor, the result may well be that only the high spots areeifectively treated.

By the aid of my invention, I provide a polishing or bufiing action which ensures that even the depressions are treated. This is accomplished by providing a rather heavy but yielding layer over the body of the roll, which is expanded by centrifugal pressure when the roll is rotated, so as to be urged yieldingly against all surfaces of the floor.

It is another object of my invention to provide a-floor polisher or buffer in which the polishing or buillng medium can be quickly and easily renewed over the roll; as for example, by making the interior of the roll hollow to accommodate a supply roll.

It is still another object ofmy invention to provide a resilient supporting layer, of considerable mass, around the roll of such an apparatus, over which the treati g layer can be disposed, .and arranged in such away that the supporting layer is urged outwardly by centrifugalforce, so as to leave an air space between this layer and which layer is adapted to be wound around the the roll. In this way, a full floating resilient treating layer is obtained.

My invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of my invention. For this purpose I have shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification.

I shall now proceed to describe this form in detail, which illustrates the general principles of my invention; but it is to be'understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of my invention isbest defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a floor treating head incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the head, showing the cover for the frame open, and one of the side supporting members swung out, to illustrate the manner in which the roll structures can be removed from and replaced in the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the plane 55 of Fig. 1; v

, Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view transverse to the axis of one of the rolls, and along plane. 6-6 of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the hollow cylinder and its cover for accommodating the supply roll of treating material;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the supporting layer and its attaching means,

outside of the hollow cylinder;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a supply roll of treating material adapted to be accommodated inside of the hollow cylinder shown in Fig. '7; Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the manner in which' the centrifugal force acts to provide a floating contact between the floor and the treating material; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, showing how an abrasive layer may be used on the roll structure.

The floor treating device is shownin Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 10, as disposed for movement over a floor surface II to be treated. In the present instance the'device is intended to be propelled manually as by a forked handle l2 (Figs. 1 and 2) pivoted as by screws 13 to the motor casing, This motor casing houses a motor intended to supply the motive power for a pair of axially alined roll structures shown generally at l 5 and I6.

Both roll structures l5 and I6 are arranged in a frame shown generally at 41 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) and are mounted on an axis transverse to the direction in which the floor treating head is moved by the handle 12. The frame I1 and the motor frame l4 are preferably in releasable engagement as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, whereby it is possible to replace one type of floor treating head with another. For example, a vacuum cleaner head can be substituted for the frame I! and its associated parts. However, since the structure permitting this interchangeability has been described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 1,854,214 granted on April 19, 1932 and entitled Floor cleaning appliance, it is considered unnecessary to describe this feature further. In general, however, it may be stated that there are telescoping flanges l8 and I9 (Fig. 4) between the motor frame 14 and the .floor treating frame l1.

In order to make it possible to roll the organization "-41 on the floor ll, use is made of several supporting rollers; one roller, such as 20 (Fig. 1) is mounted in a roller support 2| at the rear of the frame l4 as by being pivoted on a screw 22. A pair of side rollers 23 are supported at the rear of the frame I! forming a three-point support for the device.

Since the treating roll structures |5-|6 are disposed on an axis in advance of the axis of the supporting rollers 23, it is apparent that the adjustment of the axis of these roll structures with respect to its height above the floor II, can be accomplished by tilting the organization l4-l1 about the axis of rolls 23. This tilting in by the aid of the foot of the operator disposed on top of the support 2| for tilting it either in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction about the axis of roller 20. A clockwise tilt will obviously raise the rear of frame l4 and correspondingly lower the roll structures l5l 6. A counterclockwise motion of the support 2| about the axis of roller 26 will, however. lower the rear of frame l4 and willraise the roll structures I5l6. Several notches, such as 24, can be provided in an arcuateportion of thesupport2l (Fig. 1) cooperating with a spring pressed button 25 on frame l4, for

keeping the support 2| in any of the adjusted positions, by engaging in one of the notches.

The lowered portion of the roll structures is indicated in Fig. 6 and a raised portion is indicated in Fig. 10.

There will now be described the transmission mechanism between shaft 26 (Fig. 4) operated by the motor in frame I4, and shafts 21 and 28 (Fig. 5) to which the roll structures and I6 are coupled. 4

Frame II has a central wall-like portion 29 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). This portion'has' a cavity 36 in the rear in which can be disposed ball bearing structures 3| and 32 for shaft 26. The axis of this shaft is coincident with the axis of themotor and is detachablycoupled thereto by appropriate mechanism as disclosed in my prior patent above referred to. This shaft carries a pinion gear 84 meshing with a gear 35 fastened to a shaft 86 as by the. aid of a hub 31 secured to the gear. If desired; gear 35 can be made from some nonmetallic material to reduce noise. Shaft 36 can be supported in ball bearings 38 and 39 carried by the center wall 29.

The front end of shaft 36 extends into a cavity 40 (Figs. 4 and 5) and carries a bevel gear 4|. This bevel gear in turn meshes with the bevel 5 gears 42 and 43 respectively supported on the roll structure driving shafts 21 and 28. These shafts are shown in Fig. 5 as mounted for rotation in the side walls of the cavity 40 by the aid of ball bearing structures 44 and 45. It is apparent that due to this drive, roll structures l5 and I6 are rotatedin opposite directions but on a common axis. In this way any tendency for the floor treating device to move either forwards or backwards due to the traction of these rolls is obviated. 7

Since it may be desirable to provide oil, grease --or other lubricant in cavities 34 and 46, a fluidtight envelope is provided for these cavities. Thus the rear wall 46 (Fig. 4) of frame I! closes these cavities at the rear. Where shafts 21 and 28 project out of thev center wall 29, as shown in Fig. 5, use can be made of a felt washer 41, held in place as by a metal'washer 48. The felt washer 41 and the metal washer 48 are disposed on the outside of the center wall I1 and the felt washer 41 is in contact with the shaft 21.

The ratio of reduction is such that rotation of shafts 21 and 28 is provided at about the rate of 1000 revolutions per minute, in order to utilize the effects of centrifugal force. In order to facilitate assembly and repairs, the center wall 29 is shown as split as at 50 (Figs. 3 and 4), the two parts being joined together in any appropriate manner. A transverse bumper bar 5| is fastened to the lower portion of the wall 29 and can carry a rubber bumper 52. All this is most clearly shown in Fig. 3. i

From the center wall 29 there extend rear walls 53 and 54. These rear walls are shown most clearly in Figs. 6 and 10. For a short distance these rear walls are extended upwardly in an are about the axis of the roll structures 15 and I6. Furthermore, side members 55 and 56 (Figs. 3 and 5) are provided for closing the ends. of the frame. A cover member 51 is pivoted to the center wall 29 as on the studs 58 and completes with the rear walls 53 and 54, a partial hollow cymember has a flange 59 at each end overlying the side walls 55 and 56 and contacting therewith. Furthermore, the front lip 60 (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) is incontact with the top of the bumper bar 5l'.

The cover 51 can be held in its closed position by a spring pressed manually controlled button 6| which engages in a cavity 62 in the central wall 29. This button 6| has a shaft.63 extending through the front wall of the cover 51 and carrying. the knob 64 for manual control. A 0:) spring 65 is disposed around the shaft 63 and contacts at one side with the end of a bushing 66 for the shaft 63; and at its other end it engages the knob or button 6| to urge it toward the right as viewed in Fig. 4.

In order to facilitate carrying the entire floor treating device,-a bail 61 (Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5) can be pivoted on the screws 58.

Hemi-spherical bumpers 68 can be provided on the exterior surface of the side members 55 and 70 56 as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 5.

The roll structure can be best described in connection with Figs. 7, 8, and 9. Each of these structures includes a metallic cylinder 49, and each of these cylinders has an integral end wall 5 driving element of a detachable connection. The

recess 18 in the end wall 69 has a corresponding non-circular space for acconmiodating the member 1 I, whereby the cylinder 49 is driven.

In the present instance cylinder 49 is shown as hollow and as having an end cover 12. This end cover has a shoulder 13 cooperating with a reduced flange on the cylinder 49.

The side plates 55 and 58 are provided with rotatable supports for the roll structures i5 and 15 I8, whereby any whipping action of the rolls during the period of rotation is obviated by steadying the rotating structures. Thus for example, as shownvmost clearly in Fig. 5, the side 55 has a recess 14 in which is accommodate a ball bearin structure 15. On this ball bearing structure is rotatably mounted a conical support 16, cooperating with a conical recess 11 in'the cover 12. In order to urge the entire roll structure toward the rotatable conical support 16, use is made of a reentrant central portion 18 of cylinder 49, coaxial with shaft 21. This portion," can be hollow for the accommodation of acompression spring 19. A ball 80' can be interposed between this comis apparent that this compression spring 19 acts to urge the entire roll structure It toward the left; that is, on to the conical support 18.

To facilitate removal and replacement of the roll structures |5 and it, each of the side mem- 25 bars 55 and 58 is removable. This is shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and v3. It is there seen that each side member is pivotally mounted as by a pin 8| on a corresponding back member 53 or 54. Near the front edge of each of theseside 49 members 55 and 58 is a projection 82 arranged to enter into a corresponding slot 83 in the front bar 5|. In order to hold the side members p 55-58 in closed position, a pin 84 (Fig'. 3) can be used having a head 85 which can be accommo- 45 dated in a hollow 88 in the exposed surface of the side member 55 or 55. It is apparent that the apparatus so far described makes it possible, by removing pins 94 and a retraction ofthe button 8|, to open up the en- 53 tire frame as indicated in Fig. 3.

, Located within each of the hollow cylinders 49 is a supply roll 81 (Figs. 5, 6, 9, 10) This supply roll can be impregnated with wax or oil or other media; or it may be a roll of sand paper or 5.. emery cloth. The roll is held in central position i by the reentrant portion 18 of the end wall 69 and on the projection 88 extending from the cover member 12. The free end of the roll can extend through a slot 89 in the cylinder, andcan be so wrapped around. a heavy layer fastened to the outside of the cylinder 49. This heavy layer is shown in this instance in Fig. 8 and comprises a base layer 99'of some heavy material, such as rubher; and a thick superimposed layer 9| of some soft or resilient fabric, such as felt. These two layers can be cemented or glued together and can be of such a'leng'th that it extends approximately only once around the periphery of cylinder 49. It is attached at only one of its ends to the cylinder 49, and preferably at an edge of the slot 89. For this purpose a U-shaped support 92 is provided, to which the layer 9|l9| is fastened. The legs of this support engage the in-: ner and outer surface of the cylindrical wall of 75 cylinder 49 and joined to it as by riveting or other appropriate means. As shown most clearly in Figs. 6 and 10, the free end of the supply roll 81 is led through the slot 89 and overlies the layer 9|.'|---9|. A definite length of this treating material is fed through slot 89, and is anchored at 5 one end, as by the aid of a series of prongs or projections 93 extending from the lower edge of member 92, which projections can engage the material 81. It may be possible to omit prongs 93, since the friction between material 81 and 10 pad 9| may be sufiicient to maintain it against further unwinding. When the exposed material wound over the layer 98--9| is worn out or too soiled for further use, it can be unwound and disengaged from the prongs 93. Then it can be 15 pulled further out from the slot 88 and the used portion cut off. A new and clean portion can then be unwound from roll 81 and anchored to the projections 93 as heretofore stated.

The rotation of the roll structures by the aid 20 of the motor in housing I4 is such that the free end of the composite material 90-9l-81 is thrown out by centrifugal force; and if the roll structures are raised sufficiently above the floor H, as in Fig. 10, a floatingwontact is secured. In 25 this figure. it is clear that there is an air space 94 between this composite layer and the floor fproviding the floating eifect. A whippingac- 'pression spring and the bar 1| of shaft 21. It

tion is produced by centrifugal force, acting on the unattached ends of .the layer 98--9|-81.'30 This serves the purpose of beating or driving in, to any slight depression or hollow in the floor surface II, the treating material carried by the member 81.

Of course the direction of rotation as indicated by arrow 95 of Figs. 6 and 10 is in conformity with the direction in which the composite layer is wound over the cylinder 49. A definite limit is imposed upon the degree to which a centrifugal force can throw out the free end of this composite layer, by the inner walls of bar 5|, cover 51, and rear walls 53, 54. In order to ensure against wear, these parts can be lined with good wearing material, such as indicated at 96, 91, and Y98 (Figs. 3 and 6). These can be detachably held 43 x to the inner surfaces of these members by screws 99, making it possible to'replace worn out wear plates.

urge the material from roll. 81 outward to provide the air space 95, it is apparent that it is unnecessary to adjust the height of the roll structures above the floor. The" pad and its medium is driven toward the floorby centrifugalforce. All shocks are eliminated from the mechanism so due to the floating air support;

When an abrasive treating material isto be used, the mode of overlying the pad structure 9|19| is preferably such as illustrated in Fig. 11. In this form, roll I88 represents a roll of sandpaper or the like. It is unwound through slot 89 for a length slightly greater than the periphery of cylinder l8, and the unwound portion is doubled back in a clockwise direction over' the pad 90-9 I. Its free end is reentrant into slot 89, and is anchored on prongs 93. An air space III exists between the cylinder l8 and the treating medium. However, since the end of material I89 is anchored on the prongs 93, the centrifugal force cannot act to throw the material against the wear side members, a front member, and a back mem- I each roll structure, urging said structure toward .structure and supported on the plates ll, I, thereby savingsuch plates from unnecessary abrasion. The effect is to provide a yielding, eccentric cylindrical treating surface, of a diameter and eccentricity insuflicient to reach these plates 91, 98.

In this mode of use, all of the above mentioned advantages of a full floating contact are retained.

I claim:

1. In a floor treating device, a frame having her, a cover detachably supported on the frame, one of the side members being pivotally mounted on the back member, a roll structure, and means for rotatably supporting said structure in the side members, the said means in the pivotally mounted side member being in the form of a stub shaft mounted for free rotation and disengageable from the roll structure when said pivotally mounted member is opened on its pivot.

2. In a floor treating device, a frame having side members, a front member, and a back member, a cover detachably supported on the frame,

one of the side members being pivotally mounted on the back member, a roll structure, andv means for rotatably supporting said structure in the side members, the said means in the 'pivotally mounted side member being in the form of a conical support engaging a conical socket in the roll structure, and mounted for free rotation in the said pivotallymounted side member.

3. In a floor treating device, a roll structure, a

frame in which said structure is accommodated, said frame having a pair of side members respectively adjacent opposite ends of said roll structure, a drive shaft ioumalled in one side member having a detachable driving connection with said roll structure. the other side member being removable from its supporting position to facilitate removal and replacement of the roll structure, a rotatably mounted conical support for the roll structure on said other side member,

and resilient means supported by the roll structure, urging said structure toward the conical support.

4. In a floor treating device, a roll structure, a frame in which saidstructure is accommodated,

' said frame having a pair of side members respectively adjacent opposite ends of said roll structure, a drive shaft journalledin one side member having a detachable driving connection with said roll structure, the other side member being removable from its supporting position to facilitate removal and replacement of the roll structure, a rotatably mounted conical support for the roll structure on said other side member, resilient means supported by the roll structure, urging said structure toward the conical support, and-a removable cover member above the roll 7 frame.

In a floor treating device, a pair of roll structures, a frame having a center portion disposed between the roll structures, a pair of drive shafts journalled in said center portion and extending in opposite directions, for respectively driving the roll structures; each of said drive shafts having a detachable driving connection facilitate removal and replacement of the roll structures, a rotatably mounted conical support on each of said pivotally mounted members for the roll structure; resilient means supported on the conical support, and a cover member above both roll structures and pivotally mounted on said center portion.

6. A floor polishing roll structure, comprising a cylinder, a resilient layer that is adapted to contact the floor for imparting a polish thereto, said layer overlying the cylinder and being at least partly in contact with the periphery of the cylinder, and means for attaching one end'only of the layer to the cylinder, the remainder of the layer being unattached, said layer being of such length that it envelops the cylinder approximately once, said layer comprising a heavy base portion and a yielding fabric extending thereover.

7. A floor polishing roll structure, comprising a cylinder, a resilient layer that is adapted to contact the floor for imparting a polish thereto, said layer overlying the cylinder, and means for attaching one end only of the layer to the cylinder, the remainder of the layer being unattached, said layer being of such length that it envelops the cylinder approximately once; said layer comprising a heavy rubber base portion and afelt through the slot, and a resilient layer overlyingthe cylinder and beneath the length of floor treating material, said resilient layer being attached at one end only to the cylinder, adjacent an edge of the slot, and being of such length that it envelops the cylinder approximately once.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9, in which the resilient layer comprises a heavy rubber base portion, and a felt fabric extending thereover.

11. In floor treating apparatus, a hollow cylinder having a slot at its periphery, means for holding a roll of floor treating material in the cylinder, means for anchoring a length of said material when unwound through the slot, to the cylinder, a resilient layer overlying the cylinder and beneath the length of floor treating material, said resilient layer being attached at one end only to the cylinder, adjacent an edge of the slot, and being of such length that it envelops the cylinder approximately once, said anchoring means comprising a series of pointed members arranged alongthe edge of the slot.

12. A floor treating device, comprising a rotatable member, and a resilient non-abrasive treating element encompassing the member and fastened at one end only to the member to cause the free end of said element tomove outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force 13. A-floor treating device, comprising a rotatable member, a resilient treating element encompassing the member and fastened at one end only to the member to permit the free end of said element to move outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force, and means whereby the outward motion of said free end is limited.

14. A floor treating device comprising a rotat-v able member, a resilient treating element encompassing the member and fastened at one end only to the member to permit the free end of said element to move outwardly under the influence' of centrifugal force, and means forming a casing surrounding a portion of the rotatable member, and restraining said treating element to an arcuate configuration during rotation of the rotatable member. 1

15. A floor treating device comprising a rotatable member, and a resilient treating element fastened at each end to the member and encompassing the member, said resilient treating element having a length greater than that suflicient to encompass the rotatable member whereby an eccentric effect is secured through the action of the centrifugal force produced by theresilient treating member.

ALBERT E. MOORHEAD. 

